Empowerment

In terms of empowerment, the women's advice center / Counselling centre for women supports women searching for self-determination and an independent lifestyle.

Empowerment describes the targeted strengthening of women, enabling them to change their present situation or position. Words such as self-enablement or  strengthening of self-power also reflect the meaning of the word empowerment.

According to the principle of empowerment, we search together for submerged or forgotten abilities, dogmas and sources of energy that the woman needs to envision a change of her situation. Together we seek a way out of the felt powerlessness. Fundamental to it is the access to a familiar setting and a trustworthy relationship to another person. Then it is possible for the woman to develop self-confidence and self-awareness, to have the courage to do something, to give something a try, to make mistakes and try again. Support and reflection is necessary instead of devaluation and abuse.

This ability of self-help can be experienced in the individual counselling sessions and psychotherapy at first and even more intense in the group sessions with other affected persons. In a sheltered/protected group frame, a respectful and critical discussion/analysis is possible.

 

German courses:
Visiting the doctor, dealing with authorities (e.g. immigration office), going shopping – in order to help you communicate better and to make these and many other situations easier, we offer a German course for all women who speak little or no German.
The course takes place two times a week at Robert-Koch-Str. 18, 45879 Gelsenkirchen.
Participation is free of charge.
Please enroll via phone: 0209/ 20 77 13.
This course is offered in cooperation with the Bildungswerk Der Paritätische, the Frauenberatungs- und Kontaktstelle e.V. and the town of Gelsenkirchen.